FG considers deployment of special task force to rescue abducted students

The Federal Government is reportedly weighing the creation of a joint security task force comprising operatives from the military, police, DSS and other agencies as part of efforts to free kidnapped students across the country.

This development emerged as the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi, met with President Bola Tinubu to brief him on the current security landscape amid renewed student abductions.

The meeting was revealed in a Saturday post on X by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. He wrote, “The Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mr Tosin Adeola Ajayi, briefed President Bola Tinubu on the security situation on Friday night.”Photographs released afterwards showed the DSS boss inside the President’s office.

Although no formal statement was issued about the discussions, a source familiar with the meeting told our correspondent that the President and the DSS chief focused on planned operations to locate and rescue kidnapped schoolchildren, particularly in the North-West and North-Central regions.

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When asked to confirm the proposed task force, Onanuga said that the arrangement “is possible,” but did not provide further clarification.

The reported move follows a series of recent attacks, including the abduction of at least 26 students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State early on Monday, as well as a separate assault on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, where two worshippers were killed and 38 others kidnapped.

On Friday, gunmen also seized more than 303 pupils and 12 teachers after invading St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State.

In response to the Kebbi abduction, Tinubu on Thursday directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to the state and “remain on ground” to oversee security operations and track efforts to find the missing girls.

(PUNCH)